Feed mechanism for wire-fence machines.



, W. V. REW.

H'E MECHMSM FR WIRE FENCE MACHINES.

Mwucfwmm ULEB Auazo, 191.1.

1 y EL @gli Patented hn. M., 19M.

entran entras Nradianti OFFICE.

WALTER V. REID, 0F RICHMOND,` INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO PETTIS A. REID, 0F

RICHMOND, INDIANA.

FEED MECI-IANISIVI FOR WIRE-FENCE MACHINES.

l @glitt Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

Application filed August 20, 1917. Serial No. 187,094.

To all whom t may concern."

Be it known that I, WALTER V. REID, a citizen of the United States,residing at Richmond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new andn useful Improvements in Feed Mech.

anism for l/Viredfence Machines; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

This invention relates to mechanism for feeding wire and other flexiblematerial longitudinally, and more particularly to wire fabric weavingmachines used for making wire fences, wherein the stay wireis fedlongitudinally or endwise across a series of strand wires into positionfor the action of a series of loop-forming and twisting devices andassociated mechanisms, whereby loops are formed in the stay wire andwrapped around the strand wires at predetermined distances apart as thestrand wires are drawn intermittently through the machine. y

The object of my invention is to provide a novel and ecient feedmechanism of the character referred to with means for shifting thefeed-wire alternately into and out of operative relation to the feedrolls in suchmanner that the wire from which the stays are to be formed,or other flexible material, may be fed to the wire working machineautomatically from the coil of wire longitudinally or endwise forfeeding the same lengths successively or unequal lengths alternately toform alternately long and short stay lengths.

The invention will first be hereinafter more particularly described,with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as apart of this specification, and then pointed out in the claims at theend of the description.

In said drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a wire feedingmechanism embodying my invention; n

Fig. 2 is a front elevation illustrating a modification of the feedrolls and cam used for shifting the stay feedwire.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a modified form of cam used forshifting the stay feed wire guiding means, so as to adapt the mechanismto feed wire or other flexible material lengthwise alternately in longand short lengths;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of another form of cam used for shiftingthe stay feed wire for feeding the wire in the same or equal lengthssuccessively.

lig. 5 is a perspective view of the segmental feed roll.

Referring to said drawings, in which the same reference letters are usedto denote corresponding parts in different views, the letter A maydenote the machine frame on which the feed mechanism is mounted. Theletters B, C and D denote, respectively, a power shaft, the cam shaftand a countershaft journaled in said frame. `Vlhen revolved at the samespeed as the cam shaft of the machine to which the material is beingfed, the power shaft may be an eX tension of said shaftand journaled ornot, as may be necessary, in the frame of the feed mechanism. Thecounter-shaft D may be journaled in suitable bearings bolted orotherwise secured to the machine frame, as shown, parallel with thepower shaft. The feed roll drive shaft E extends above the machine framein which it is journaled and carries a bevel pinion or gear wheel cwhich engages a similar bevel pinion or gear wheel on theshaft D, whichmay be driven by means of a chain b extending from a sprocket wheel B1on the power shaft B to a similar sprocket wheel on the counter-shaft D,while the shaft C is driven by a drive chain c extending from a sprocketwheel on the power shaft B around a larger sprocket wheel C1 on the camshaft C. Said sprocket wheels are so proportioned and the movement sotimed as to impart the desired rotary movement to the feed rolls and thedesired reciprocating movement to the wire guiding means for feeding thematerial in equal lengths successively or alternately in differentlengths, as hereinafted described. H and H1 denote the co-acting feedrolls between the peripheries of which the stay feed wire is placed andgripped with sufficient force to advance the wire a given length at eachrevolution of the rolls.

The roll H has a part of its periphery cut away so that it will rotate adistance equal to the length of the cut away portion without grippingthe wire between it and the adjacent feed roll. The peripheries of theco-acting feed rolls are normally separated sufficiently for the passagetherebetween of the stay feed wire, or other flexible material, that isbeing fed longitudinally through the machine by means of said rolls, andthe shifting of the stay feed wire sidewise, so as to bring the sameinto or out of operative relation to the co-acting feed rolls, for thepurpose of effecting the in-feed of the wire longitudinally, or allowingthe same to remain stationary during the operation of the stay attachingdevices, takes place while the aforesaid cut-away portion of the largeror segmental roll H is passing the smaller or single roll H1. The feedwire may be held in t-he inactive position during one or morerevolutions of the feed rolls; the period of time it is so helddepending upon the amount of idle time wanted between successive feeds.On the shaft C is fixed a .cam K on which the lower end of areciprocating bar L, or a friction roller on the lower end of said bar,may rest, to be operated thereby. Said bar L carries at its upper end asmall feed wire guide or tube M which receives and guides the stay wirelongitudinally through the machine, between the periphery of thesegmental roll and the co-acting feed roll. The bar L may be supportedand guided in its reciprocatory movements in eyes or sockets a, nl onthe projecting ends of brackets N and N1, which may be bolted orotherwise secured to the machine frame, as shown. A coiled or othersuitable spring O, placed on the bar L, between the bracket N and acollar o on said bar L, tends to force said bar downwardly andhold thefriction device or roller on the lower end thereof in engagement withthe actuating cam K. The

-Y collar 0 may be secured on the bar L by means of a set screw to adaptit to be adjusted for varying the pressure of the spring. The roller H1,or equivalent rolling means, may be mounted on a stub shaft which hasits bearings in a socket formed integrally `with or secured to a leverP, which is pivotally mounted on the machine frame, conveniently bymeans of ears or lugs on the tubular part of -the lever P, apertured toreceive a pivot bolt or pin p engaging registering apertures in similarlugs projecting from the machine frame. The tube or socket on the leverP may be formed integrally with a depending portion or eXtension p1 ofthe longer arm of the lever and to said longer arm is connected at itslower end 'one endof a coiled or other suitable spring Q, the other endof which may-be adjustably secured to the machine frame by means of aneye-bolt g passing through a hole in a bracket on the machine frame andhaving a nut screwed thereon for adjusting the tension of the spring,which serves to hold the lever P in contact with an adjusting screw a"carried by a bracket X projecting from the machine frame, as shown,whereby the working faces or peripheries of the co-acting feed rolls areprevented from comingv into contact and are kept at the desired distanceapart to permit the passage of the feed wire therebetween and adapt themto grip and hold the wire with suliicient pressure to feed the requiredlength as the rolls revolve. The cam K is constructed with` peripherallobes or projections c and 71:2 which engage successively the lower endof the movable bar L, or the friction roller thereon, and raise said barsufficiently to bring they stay wire centrally between the peripheriesofthe feed-rolls, that is, between the small roll H1 and the segment H,and hold the wire, through the wire guiding means carried by the bar L,in such position until a sufficient number-of revolutions of the feedrolls has been made to feed the desired length, whereupon the spring Owill force the bar, L downwardly so as to bring its lower end intoengagement with the arcshaped'portion or cam surface k1, of the cam Kbetween the two diametrically opposite lobes on said cam and at thesaine time bring the wire guiding means M and feed wire below the planeof the feed rolls where the wire is held and remains stationary untilthe loop-forming and wrapping` devices have attached the previously fedstay to the strand wires, and thereupon, the strand wires being drawnthrough the machine the length of a stay space, the bar L will be againraised by the lobe 7a2, to bring the wire between the peripheries of thefeedrolls, and the feed wire being clamped therebetween, as the rollersare caused to revolve, another stay length will be fed, and as therotation of-the cam is continued the bar L will be lowered by engagementwith the arc-shaped portion r" of t-he cam K, thereby bringing the wireguiding means or feed wire below the feed rolls. where it will be heldfor a suflicient period of time to permit. the. application of apreviously fed stay or stay length, and thereupon the bar L will beagain raised by the boss or lobe con the cam K, so as to bring the feedwire and guiding means into operative relation to the feed rolls, and soon, so as to intermittently feed the material a stay length; the lengthfed depending upon the length of the contact surface of the segment withwhich the adjacent co-acting feed roll is engaged and the number ofrevolutions of the feed rolls while the feed wire is held therebetween.A gear wheel R on the shaft E in mesh with a pinion R1 on the stub shaftwhich carries the feed roll H:L may be used for imparting simultaneous;

rotary movement to thetwo rolls when the shaft E is revolved.

For feeding alternately long and short stay lengths, or the like,thecain K1, Fig.`

' being of greater length than the other so as Fig. l, there is a pairof segmental feed to feed alternately a comparatively long and acomparatively short length. `The length consists of multiples of whattherolls would feed in one revolution.v As shown in Fig. 3 the length ofone lobe is of two multiples, while `the other is of three multiples;`the lobes being of sufficient length to holdthe stay wire in theplane ofthe rolls for two arid three revolutions, respectively, of the feedrolls. As shown inFig. l, the lobes are of the same length, for feedingthe saine length successively,`and each lobe will hold the stay wire inthe plane of the rolls for two revolutions. The same result may beaccomplished by omitting one lobe, as illus-1 trated in Fig. 4l, whichgives a greater pe-y riod of time between the successive feeds. ln theforni shown in Fig. 2 `of the drawings, instead of the rolling meansshown in rolls H2 and H3 and a pairof co-acting smaller rolls H and H5,each pair of rolls being slightly separated to provide what maybeterined a neutral space between the rolls, for a purpose hereinafterstated.

Fach of the two segmental rolls has a pe-4 ripheral portion thereof outaway, as shown in Fig. 5, to form unequal segments or contactsurfaces ofdifferent lengths,to adapt one segment and co-aeting feed roll to feed agreater length than the other segment.`

The peripheries of the co-acting rolls of each pair are normallyseparated sufficiently for the passagetherebetween of the wire or otherinaterialthat is being fed longitudi#4 na ly through the in achine bymeans of said rolls. The feed wire shifting means is of the saineconstruction and adapted to operate inthe saine manner as described withreference to Fig. l, though a different form of cani is employed, toadapt the feed meche.

anisin to feed eitherl vthe same lengths successively,"or unequallengths alternately, so as to form alternately long` and short staylengths. To this end the cam l 2 has a peripheral projection 7e the sameas the cams K and K1, which engages the lower end of the movable bar L,or the friction roller thereon, and raises said bar sufficiently tobring the stay wire centrally between the peripheries of the uppermostfeed rolls, that is, between the roll H4 and the segment H2, and `holdthe wire, through the wire guiding means carried by the bar L, in suchpo sition until a suflicient number of revolu-` tions of the feed rollshas been made to feed the desired length, whereupon the spring U willforce the bar L downwardly so as to bring its lower end into engagementwith the arceshaped portion or cam surface k1 of the cani K2, at oneside of the boss or lobe f: and at the saine time bring the wire guidingmeans M and feed wire into the plane of the neutral spaces between theadjacent pairs of feed rolls where the wire is held until theloop-forining and wrapping devices have attached the previously fed stayto the strand wires, and thereupon, the strand wires being drawn throughthe machine the length. of a stay spaee, the bar L will be furtherdepressed by the spring O, bringing its lower end or the roller thereoninto engagement with the recessed portion 702 of the cam K2, whichbrings the wire guiding means M centrally of the two lowermost feedrolls, H3 and` H5, and the feed wire being clamped therebetween, as therollers are caused to revolve, another and shorter stay length will befed, and as the -rotation of the cani is continued the bar L will becaused to engage the arc-shaped por tion 7c3 of the cam and therebyraise the rod L suciently to bring the wire guiding means M intoalinement with the neutral space between the feed rolls, where it willbe held for a sufficient period of time to permity the application ofanother previously fed stay or stay length, and thereupon the bar L willbe again lraised by the boss k, so as to bring the feed wire and guidingmeans into operative relation to the uppermost feed rolls,`

aiidso on, so as to intermittently feed the material alternately in longand short lengths; the length fed depending upon the length of thecontact surface of the segment with which the adjacent co-acting feedroll is engaged and the number of revolutions of the feed rolls whilethe feed wire is held therebetween. As in Fig. 1, so also in Fig. 2,theshaft E carries a gear wheel H in mesh with a pinion F21 on the stubshaft which carries the feed rolls H4 and H5 for imparting simultaneousrotary movement to the two pairs of rolls when the shaft E is revolved.

lf desired to feed stays of uniform length, a cam of the forni shown inFig. l may be substituted for the cam shown in Fig. 21, which wouldprevent the feed wire from being lowered sufficiently to bring the stayfeed wire into the plane of the lowerinost feed rolls, and would give agreater period of time between successive feeds; the lobe 7c beingadapted to raise the lever L and bring the feed wire into operativerelation to the uppermost feed rolls, for feeding a stay length,whereupon the lobe will release or disengage the lever and allow thesame to drop down and move "the 'feed wire sidewise from between thefeed rolls, in which position the wire will be held until again raisedand moved in between. the uppermost rolls by engagement ofthe lobe lawith the -shi-fting lever. The same result may be `accomplished byfixing a collar T on the lever L, at the proper distance from thebracket N1, as shown in `dotted lines in Fig. 2, so vthat it will serveas a stop to prevent the lever L from dropping down into the .recess 7a2of the cam K2 or lower "than the neutral faces of the cam. y

Suitable guiding means for the material being -fed can `be mounted upona bracketfor fixed partvof the machine frame, tolguide the material tofeed rolls, andguiding means to receive lthe material that is being.vfed'can also be mounted upon la bracket or other fixed part of themachine frame on the 0pposite side of the ffeed Irolls, if desired. Whenfeeding a stay-feed-wire to a fence making machine, `it may be andusually is desirable to pass the wire through a wire straightener, suchas shown in Patent No. 1,160,089, granted Reid, Reid & Kelley, No-

vember 9, 1915, having two series of grooved rolls mounted in differentplanes so that the wire may be drawn between the two sets of rolls andstraightened; and such y wire straightener may be mounted on ashelf orbracket cast integrally with :or secured to the machine `frame `in .such`manner that the straightenerso mounted may yserve as one guide for4guiding the wire to the feed rolls. Atubular guide such as shownin-said vpatent may also be mounted upon the fence machine andfextendedclose up to the feed rolls to receive `the wire as fed-by the rolls.

It will be understood of course that the required movement A'may beimparted tothe feed roll Vshafts' and camshaft by other means thansprocket wheels and chains, as forinstance, .byfbevel-or spur gearing,and that if the v-machine with which 'this feeding mechanism is to beused has shafts properly7 timed, the frame design ofthe feed mechanismcan .be changed to suit the positions of such shafts when extended, orthe feed roll drive shaft E can be directly connected yto one of themachine shafts and motion imparted to the slever L by a cam mounted on ashaft within the machine frame, so' as to dispense with the chains andsprocket wheels and bevel gearing of the specific form shown.

While my improved feed mechanism is designed and adapted especially foruse upon wire .fence making machines, it is -obviously adapted for usein feeding flexible material to othermachines, for instance, Yforfeeding strip material -to punch presses, or other machinery, in eitherunequal -or equal lengths, and it will `be understood that the inventionis not restricted in its application to wire fence making machines.

As will be seen, I may feed alternately different lengths of wire bymeans of coacting pairs of feed rolls or by means of a single pair ofrolls, providing the lengths to be fed are kmultiples of what thesegment roll will feed during one revolution. For instance, if .onelength requires one turn and the other length requires two, three orfour turns, or if the first length requires two turns and the secondlength requires three or four turns, the working face 7c of the camshould be made the length necessary to .hold the wire in the plane ofthe rolls during the required number of revolutions of the rolls for thefirst length, while for the :second length the cam is provided withanother raised portion of greater length `than but like the lpart 7c,instead of the recess 702 as provided for use with the two pairs ofrolls, the longer lobe being of sufficient length to hold the wire inthe plane of the krolls for the required number of turns in `excess ofthe number required for the shorter lobe.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction andarrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope-of myinvention; hence I do not desire to be limited to the specificconstructions illustrated and described.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the .United States is:

.1. In a machine for feeding wire kor other flexible material endwise,.the lcombination with a `pair of feed rolls between which the materialis placed, of means for rotating said rolls-simultaneously in oppositedirections, movable wire-guiding means, and means for throwing saidguiding means into and out of operative relation to said feed rolls,including interchangeable dissimilar cams ywhereby the in'feed of thematerial may be effected in either unequal lengths, alternately, or inequal lengths, successively.

2. In combination, a plurality of unequal segmental feed rolls, feedrolls beside said segmental rolls,.means for rotating said segmental andco-acting rolls in opposite directions, movable wire-guiding means, andmeans for throwing said guiding means into and out of operative relationto said feed rolls, including interchangeable dissimilar cams, wherebythe material may be fed in either unequal lengths, alternately, or inequal lengths, successively.

3. In combination, pairs of-co-acting feed rolls arranged in slightlyseparated relation one above another to providea neutral space of rollsonly to adapt the machine to feed 10 between upper and lower pairs ofrolls, one the material successively in equal lengths. pair beingadapted to feed a greater length In testimony whereof l affix mysignature of iaterial than the otler, rovable wirein the presence of twowitnesses.

gui ing means, means or t rowin said guiding means into operativerelationgto the WALTER V REID different pairs of rolls, alternately, andmeans whereby said guiding means may be sustained in operative relationto one pair Witnesses:

Gnovnn C. Yos'r, Pn'r'rls A. REID.

@epics of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of latehta, Washington, D. C.

